A former footballer, sexually abused by serial paedophile Barry Bennell, has urged Crewe Alex to re-think its decision not to hold a full investigation, saying 'the survivors want to be heard by management at the club'.

Former Manchester City youth player Gary Cliffe was speaking after Crewe Alexandra issued a statement last Friday saying the club 'does not intend to commission a further independent investigation to duplicate the thorough enquiries [by the police] that have already been undertaken'.

Gary said Crewe Alex owed it to the boys they let down to meet them and hold a thorough investigation.

“The statement they released is poor. It just smacks of they can’t be bothered because it’s too big and because of the cost,” he told the Chronicle this week.

“You’re talking child sexual abuse here and Barry Bennell will go down as the biggest paedophile in history in terms of the number of lads and offences.”

Gary, who is a serving officer with Staffordshire Police, said there was a difference between a police investigation and an independent inquiry.

“An independent inquiry is about fact-finding and what went wrong and what could be done better; in a police investigation, they’re seeking out evidence to prove a crime,” he said.

He added: “I think they [the Alex] should reach out to the lads – to Woody [Andy Woodward], Stevie Walters and the others. They need to speak to them.”

Gary never played for the Alex – although he lived in Nantwich while he was a youth player at Manchester City.

At the beginning of last week, there were reports - published by the national press – that Bennell was sacked by the Alex in 1992, days after parents confronted him about his behaviour.

Crewe Alex insists in its statement released on Friday that 'the police investigation concluded that there was no suggestion that Mr Bennell was dismissed by the club for anything other than football-related reasons'.